Just as Ye Tiancheng was feeling particularly conflicted, a car suddenly stopped in front of his house. It was a red Ferrari, and the driver was Hou Mingzhu, whom Ye Tiancheng had previously driven away.
"Ye Tiancheng, I know you haven't been doing well lately. You gave me the 'Tears of the Ocean' necklace, and I feel that such a precious item cannot remain in my possession. Here, you can sell it and perhaps alleviate your situation a little. Although, for your debts, this necklace probably won't be of much help."
Hou Mingzhu spoke with a peculiar calmness, just like she used to be. There was no trace of the previously endearing Hou Mingzhu.
"Hou Mingzhu, have you recovered? Why do you seem so strange to me?"
"Yes, you guessed correctly. I have recovered, and I have you to thank for it. I heard from our servants that the foolish me cried for a day and a night, then slept for another day and night. After waking up, I regained my memory."
Since she was no longer the endearing Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng felt no need to hold back. He grabbed Hou Mingzhu's hand tightly.
"Good, then this will be much easier to handle. Explain to me why you ordered someone to set fire to Hou Qing'er and burn her to death."
"You're talking about that incident? He Wu has confessed and was sentenced to death. Everything will be over soon. Why bring this up now? It's quite a buzzkill, actually."
This woman was truly outrageous, speaking so brazenly. He Wu must have been threatened by the Hou family and became their scapegoat.
"Hou Mingzhu, I truly miss the pure and innocent you. The current you is not cute at all. Leave, I don't want to lay a hand on you."
After all, they had spent time together. Ye Tiancheng couldn't say he had no feelings for her. However, many things had passed, and it was best not to dwell on them.
"I think you treated me well, strictly speaking, the amnesiac me. So, I'm returning this 'Tears of the Ocean' necklace to you, considering I no longer owe you anything."
Ye Tiancheng looked at Hou Mingzhu before him, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity he had never experienced before. She was still the spoiled young lady, but she had killed the adorable person who had once captivated him.
"She won't be coming back, will she?"
"Ye Tiancheng, I don't understand what you're saying. I am Hou Mingzhu. I was just sick before. From beginning to end, there was no one else. I think you're overthinking it."
Hou Mingzhu's words completely shattered Ye Tiancheng's fantasy. That period was precious to Ye Tiancheng, but it was only a limited happiness.
Once everything returned to reality, that happiness completely vanished.
"You can keep the necklace. It wasn't meant for you. You can keep it for her. Since I gave it away, I won't take it back."
Ye Tiancheng remembered how happy Hou Mingzhu was when she received the 'Heart of the Ocean' back then, and he couldn't bring himself to take it back. If he took back this gift, he would feel like less of a man, like a coward.
"Ye Tiancheng, why bother? That foolish Hou Mingzhu will never return. My illness is cured, and you don't need to force yourself. I know you're living a very difficult life now, and there's no need to make your life worse for the sake of pride. Selling this necklace might even make you some money, enough to plug the holes in your debts."
Hou Mingzhu's words made sense. The price of the 'Heart of the Ocean' had already been hyped to one hundred million yuan. If Ye Tiancheng sold the necklace, he could probably settle most of his debts and wouldn't be constantly harassed by debt collectors.
"No need. Everyone knows my life is hard, you don't need to remind me. I can manage."
No matter what, Ye Tiancheng didn't want to take back the gift. When he gave it, he never thought he would take it back one day, as it would make him seem incompetent, not like a man at all.
"Don't pretend. Ye Tiancheng, this is not good for you. Accept this 'Heart of the Ocean,' and perhaps you can start a new life. Don't suffer like this anymore."
"You don't need to worry about me." Ye Tiancheng suppressed immense anger before speaking the next words, "Hou Mingzhu, I've been lenient enough with you. You killed Hou Qing'er. If it weren't for the fact that you spent that difficult time with me during your amnesia, I wouldn't let you off."
"It seems you still quite like that silly me. It's a pity it can't go back. Ye Tiancheng, we should both accept reality and not dwell on the past."
Hou Mingzhu didn't come just to return a necklace. She also had a proposal for Ye Tiancheng, but she found it difficult to say and needed to gather her thoughts before speaking.
"Ye Tiancheng, I must manage you because, nominally, I am your fiancée. We are about to get married."
"Don't joke. You and I both know it's impossible between us. As for this superficial reputation, it's not important to me, and I'm not in a hurry to clarify it. I hope you don't use this identity to pressure me, otherwise, I will clarify it immediately."
Ye Tiancheng knew that as soon as this fiancée identity was mentioned, Hou Mingzhu would find him utterly repulsive. However, Hou Mingzhu felt it was fine. After waking up and discovering their relationship, she had been contemplating marrying Ye Tiancheng.
"There's no need to clarify, is there? I'm willing to marry you. After we get married, your debts won't be a problem, and you'll become a son-in-law in our family. I believe you'll also live a good life."
"Are you dreaming? I will absolutely not marry you."
Ye Tiancheng had never thought that the reason he restored his fiancée relationship with Hou Mingzhu was merely to find the location of the Hou family ancestral hall, to obtain the fragments of the Fuxi Qin.
Now that this condition was gone, Ye Tiancheng had no intention of throwing himself into a fiery pit.
"It doesn't matter. I'm just here to inform you. I'm willing to wait for you to marry me whenever you wish. It's entirely up to you. You can come home to find me anytime. The doors of my Hou family are always open."
"Hou Mingzhu, you are a hateful murderer, and you still have the audacity to say these things? I, Ye Tiancheng, even if I were to beg for food one day, would never marry a murderer. I fear retribution."
Ye Tiancheng now hated Hou Mingzhu to the core. Having lost the last shred of her cuteness, he could hate Hou Mingzhu without any reservations.
"Don't get excited, Ye Tiancheng. Only capable people can afford to lose their temper, and you are completely incapable. So, don't lose your temper. Suppress your anger; being so fiery is bad for your health. If you get sick now, you probably won't even have money for treatment. How pathetic."
Hou Mingzhu's words were truly infuriating. Ye Tiancheng had wanted to lay hands on Hou Mingzhu several times, but he remembered that he was a man and had to stick to his principles, not hitting women. Even if Hou Mingzhu was being excessive, he couldn't hit her.
"Hou Mingzhu, you've been with me for so long, you should know I have a bad temper. Stop provoking me. Please leave immediately, or I might resort to physical action."
Seeing that Ye Tiancheng was truly angry, Hou Mingzhu smiled indifferently.
"Alright, I was just joking with you, and you're taking it so seriously. Then I'll leave. If you really can't manage, remember to find me. I'll still keep the position of husband open for you, but don't take too long, or I can't guarantee it."
Hou Mingzhu was quite smart. Before Ye Tiancheng completely lost it, she drove away in her red Ferrari.
After Hou Mingzhu left, Ye Tiancheng painfully squatted down, holding his head with both hands, filled with remorse.
"Qing'er, I'm sorry. Facing the murderer who killed you, I can't avenge you. This Hou Mingzhu is utterly wicked. Don't worry, perhaps there's another way to avenge you without resorting to murder."
Ye Tiancheng muttered incoherently, unsure of what he was saying. Perhaps he had been too stressed lately. He felt very agitated and, without realizing it, lay down on the ground and fell asleep. When he woke up, he glanced at the clock; it was already past eight in the morning.
"Brother Ye, can you come and be my son-in-law?"
"Brother Ye, our fate was destined long ago. You can't abandon me. If you don't want me, I'll have to find a way to cling to you, and I absolutely won't let you abandon me."
Ye Tiancheng couldn't focus on anything. The voices of Su Muxian kept echoing in his ears. Ye Tiancheng felt as if he were possessed, unable to stop recalling various memories and beautiful moments with Su Muxian.
Those unforgettable memories flashed through Ye Tiancheng's mind like a movie, making him unable to escape the powerful obsession in his heart. He felt immense pain, as if his heart were being torn apart.
In the end, Ye Tiancheng couldn't hold back any longer. He drove his pickup truck to Su Muxian's wedding venue.
Su Muxian's wedding was held outdoors on a grassy lawn, adorned with various flowers, accompanied by melodious music. The guests were all high-profile.
The cars of the guests at the entrance were ones Ye Tiancheng had never seen before. Luxury sports cars worth millions were considered the cheapest; many were worth tens of millions. Ye Tiancheng's pickup truck looked particularly out of place.
"Excuse me, sir, your car cannot be parked here. There is a wedding ceremony inside, and this is a special parking area for guests."
"If I say it can be parked, it can be parked."
After Ye Tiancheng said this, influenced by the true qi, the person acted as if possessed and dared not speak. He obediently let Ye Tiancheng park his pickup truck among a pile of luxury cars.
Ye Tiancheng, without even wearing a suit, rushed in despite the obstruction of the greeters at the door. At this moment, the pastor was presiding over the wedding, and the couple was about to exchange rings.
"Su Muxian, I'm not in a good mood today, so I've come to disrupt your wedding. Please don't blame me."
Most of the guests at the venue recognized the former entrepreneur. Ye Tiancheng had done so much charity work and was once very reputable. However, he was now bankrupt, and no one was willing to give him any respect.
"Isn't this guy a pauper now, and heavily in debt? How dare he come to steal the bride."
"Yeah, he's really got some nerve. And he's not even wearing a suit, just ragged clothes. How could the girl possibly go with him."
"Even if he wore a suit, it would be useless. What can this poor guy compare to Young Master Ouyang? Young Master Ouyang is a true second-generation rich heir, and he's handsome too. Compared to Young Master Ouyang, Ye Tiancheng probably feels like jumping off a building."
Ye Tiancheng could hear all the scolding and mockery, but he didn't care. He walked resolutely towards Su Muxian, extended his hand, and his eyes were fixed on Su Muxian, with a deep affection that no one had ever seen before.
"Su Muxian, are you willing to come with me?"
"No, Ye Tiancheng, I won't go with you. Please leave immediately."